Rolland Courbis — a voice of French football falls silent
French football has lost one of its most recognisable characters. Rolland Courbis died Monday morning at 72. His family and RMC confirmed it. With him goes more than a former player or coach. A voice. A figure. A way of talking about the game that’s gone.
Since for over half a century Courbis was part of the scenery. On the pitch, on the bench, then behind the mic. Always there. Always recognisable.
From the pitch to the dugout, a life of football
Before he became a media figure, Rolland Courbis was a player. A tough, dependable defender, three-time French champion. Once with Olympique de Marseille in 1972, then twice with AS Monaco in 1978 and 1982. An era when the game was harder, the clashes clearer, and Courbis belonged.
His move to the touchline came naturally. Bordeaux, Toulouse, Marseille, Montpellier. Clubs, contexts, often tricky missions. Courbis was never a smooth manager. But he was respected for his knowledge of the game, his feel for the dressing room, and his knack for speaking straight.
A familiar voice
From 2005 Courbis changed pitch. He went to RMC’s studios. Mic open. Free speech. He quickly stamped his style. Direct. Vivid. At times rough, often spot on. He didn’t just comment on football; he told it.
Courbis became a full-blown media figure. A pundit you recognised from the first line. A tone all his own, part teacher, part one-liner, able to make you smile or hit where it hurts.
To the end, faithful to the mic
Even weakened in recent months, Rolland Courbis didn’t let go. In the autumn of 2024 he joined “L’Équipe du Soir” on the L’Équipe channel. A new platform. A new audience. And that same unbroken passion.
He was still on the set in the autumn. Tired, but present. Because football, for him, wasn’t a job. It was a life.
A figure who won’t be replaced
Rolland Courbis leaves a particular void. The sort only true characters create. Not perfect. Not bland. But deeply sincere. He was one of those figures who cut across generations without ever going out of style.
French football loses a memory, a voice, a way of seeing.
Photo credit: Valery Hache / AFP
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